San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-07-23
DRIVE Or SLAUGHTER.

The time has come for the Cattlemen
OF Texas to face the situation that stares
them in the face and do the thing they
must now that they can no longer
do the thing that they would. The re
cent decision Of the Cattle Growers as
ing back on the trail from Wyoming OF
the cattle already started on that route
virtually ends the driving of Texas Gat-
tie northward. Referring to the open
ing of this trail not long since the LIGHT
expressed the opinion that the relief to
Texas cattlemen thus afforded would be
of short duration, and the ultimate
remedy must be found in some other d.
rectiOn. The beginning OF the end
seems to have come rather suddenly.
Prominent Cattlemen on the Nueces
ranches yesterday in converse
tIon on the subject expressed their
opinions without reserve and were
decidedly Of opinion that cattle driving
from Texas to the markets Of the north
ranchmen also expressed himself as de-
oidely Of the opinion that this move
shut the cattlemen OF Texas up to their
own resources and that they must now
slaughter their own cattle In Texas, or
be slaughtered themselves. This gen.
tleman affirmed that cattle could not be
shipped by rail during the season that
the market was open to them and that
thus they were practically cut of from
their business unless a change was made
and the cattlemen of Texas slaugh-
tered their own beef. The opinion was
pretty freely expressed that the cattle
men Of the state had been altogether too
lax in looking after their own interests.
That they had not shown that DISPOSE
tiOn to help themselves, which alone
could lead them intelIigently to accept
the help preferred them by those who
were willing TO share the profits and
burdens Of cattle slaughtering in Texas
with them. The simple truth, as eluci-
dated in the course of the several hours
conversation which occurred in a cattle
town = considerable distance towards
sunset, seems to be that the Cattlemen
do not consider that the movement for
cattle refrigeration must necessarily
come from them as the parties most in
terested and most likely to derive bene-
fit thereby. They argue hat If cattle
Strengthening and beef shipping is such
a sure thing, MS is represented by such
of their number rs have been agitating
this question Of meat refrigeration by
the cattle men themselves, why have
not Texas capitalists, or the great pack
ing houses OF the north and west, Chi
oago, Milwaukee, Omaha, St. Joseph,
Kansas City, etc, taken up the matter
and put in a plant. The great cattle
slaughterers OF these cities have their
hands full. They can get all the cattle,
on which a demand is made at the
prices offered, that are necessary to
meet the market they supply. Texas
beef must come into competition with
the product of those packing houses,
and it ia because Texas beef can be put
upon the market at q profit and enter
into successful competition with north
ern and western grown cattle
that refrigeration works are needed
here, but the men who will derive profit
from this investment are the very men
who refuse to take stock in such enter
prises. They should remember that the
cattle packers are few, that 1t Is an in
dustry not easily undertaken and sue
oessful carried out by those who have
no experience in cattle matters, and
that 1t naturally falls within the province
of those who grow cattle to slaughter
them IL no one else will. Capital in
Texas that looks TO profit in cattle has
put it into cattle growing and trusted to
the natural conditions OF the state and
the cheapness Of growing cattle for their
profits. Cattle cannot be grown go
oheaply in Texas as formerly, and yet it
Is only her remoteness from market that